Sungjae Im's 6 Consecutive Birdies "Tied 5th, 3 Strokes Behind"… Westwood Leads

The Players Championship Day 2: 6-Under Surge, DeChambeau Tied 5th, Rahm Tied 14th, McIlroy 'Cut Off'

Im Sung-jae is making a chip shot on the 3rd hole of the second day at The Players Championship. Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA = Getty Images / Multivitz

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Im Sung-jae (23, CJ Logistics) shows his power with 6 consecutive birdies.

On the 13th (Korean time), at the PGA Tour 'The Players Championship' (total prize money $15 million) held at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA (par 72, 7,189 yards), Im surged with a 6-under-par on the second day to leap to a tie for 5th place (6-under 138). Veteran Lee Westwood leads (9-under 135), with Matthew Fitzpatrick (both from England) one stroke behind in 2nd place (8-under 136). Due to sunset, 8 players have not finished their rounds.

Starting from a tie for 42nd place, 7 strokes behind, Im collected 8 birdies (2 bogeys). After his first birdie on the 11th hole (par 5), he showcased his power with 6 consecutive birdies from the 15th hole (par 4) to the 2nd hole (par 5). This ties the tournament record for most consecutive birdies. After taking a breather with bogeys on the 5th and 7th holes, he secured a birdie on the final 9th hole (par 5). With a fairway hit rate of 78.57% and an average of 1.417 putts per hole, he powered through with precise putting. He is 3 strokes behind the leader, aiming for his second career win since the Honda Classic last March.

Lee Westwood is reading the putting line on the 6th hole during the second day of The Players Championship. Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA = Getty Images / Multivitz Photo by Getty Images

Westwood reduced his score by 6 strokes to top the leaderboard. He is in a position to avenge last week's loss at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Sergio Garcia (Spain), who led the previous day, dropped to a tie for 3rd place (7-under 137). 'Hulk' Bryson DeChambeau (USA) shot 3-under and is tied for 5th, eyeing a comeback opportunity. 'Number 2' Jon Rahm (Spain) lowered his score by 4 strokes to climb to a tie for 14th place (4-under 140).

'Number 1' Dustin Johnson (USA) is tied for 36th place (1-under 143). On the other hand, defending champion Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) struggled with a 3-over-par, tied for 142nd place (10-over 154), missing the cut. From Korea, Kim Si-woo (26) is tied for 22nd place (2-under 142), and Lee Kyung-hoon (30, both CJ Logistics) advanced to the third round tied for 36th. Kang Sung-hoon (34) is tied for 147th place (13-over 157), and An Byeong-hoon (30, CJ Logistics) is 152nd (18-over 162), both struggling.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.